


A Moment of Respite

by To_Shiki



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (with Hunk's help), Coran's learning how to cook for Earthlings, Gen, Keith is a fierce protector of Space Dad Shiro, Lance (Voltron) has magic fingers, No pronouns used for Pidge | Katie Holt, Shiro needs a break, Shiro's arm is detachable, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:57:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9318149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/To_Shiki/pseuds/To_Shiki
Summary: The other Paladins get Shiro to relax after post-battle exhaustion wears off.





	

After witnessing Voltron take out another fleet of his “best” ships Zarkon wisely turned tail to regroup.  He was quickly catching on that the young Paladins are not as easy to beat as he originally thought.  As he listened to Haggar prattle, on the defenders of the universe took the moment of peace gratefully.

~*~

The first line of business post-battle consisted of the following:

  1. Tend to any injuries
  2. See to their lions (sometimes they skipped straight to #2 until their lions started growling at them)
  3. Debrief while eating – something they happily did since the Garrison had explicitly told them that was forbidden no matter what branch of military they went to.
  4. With insistent pushes and firm promises to wake them for anything, Allura and Coran herd the dead-on-their-feet humans to their rooms
  5. Sleep the sleep of the ~~dea~~ accomplished. ~~  
  
~~



Intense battles usually guaranteed that each of them could get in at least a solid 8 hours of sleep without interruption.  Even Shiro’s nightmares were kept at bay long enough for him to feel slightly more human when he finally wakes.

That didn’t mean he was functioning like his old self again.  All it meant was it was easier to swallow the pain, to keep up the charade of being a needed leader and friend to the others.  It would normally last a good two Earth days until the return of bad coping habits reared their ugly head.

By the third morning he was sweating in his bed, mentally coaxing himself to get up, shower, and plaster a strained smile on his face.

The fourth day after and his right pinkie finger starts twitching uncontrollably.  Each spasm of real and artificial muscles has him clenching his jaw so hard it aches.

On the fifth day is when things finally take a turn for the better.  Not that he’s aware of it when he wakes up after a measly four hours of nightmarish sleep.  He goes to the training deck and works out his frustration for several hours before the call for breakfast.  There he barely manages a handful of bites before making the excuse of needing a shower.

A few hours after the lunch hour, which he didn’t show, is when the universe finally smiled in his direction.

Shiro was curled up in the pilot’s seat of his lion, desperately trying to catch a power nap someplace _safe_ when he heard her questioning rumble in the back of his mind.

“What’s up, Black?” His voice is scratchy from little use.  The lack of proper sleep and food makes him ask her to repeat herself twice before he finally understands.  He lifts his head and looks out to see the other paladins waiting for him to come out.

The four are looking up at Black, three waving hurriedly while one merely crosses his arms and taps his foot impatiently.  Thankful for a distraction from his failed attempt at napping, Shiro leaves after saying a quick goodbye to Black.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, you see-“

“I have an idea for-“

“Coran’s actually made something good!  It’s-“

“It’s all their id-“

The overlapping voices do well in drowning out the harsh whispers from half-remembered dreams.  It doesn’t help his growing headache or in figuring out what they wanted from him to begin with.  Pidge’s insistent tugging on his right arm has him wincing.  He only follows to relieve the pain and indulge everyone as he’s lead from the hangar to the common room.

Once inside he notices several things out of place.  One is an interesting… plate of purple, blue, and yellow food stuffs.  Several pieces of equipment and tools lying on the floor next to the low table with food.  A handful of couch cushions were on the floor in a neat line to the left of the assortment of tools.

They were arranged just long enough for someone of Shiro’s height to comfortably lay on.

“All right, Shiro.  Gimme!”

Slow blink.  There’s two pairs of hands on his prosthetic now.  “Umm…”

“Ahem.”

“Oh, sorry.  Gimme, please.”

Both Hunk and Pidge wait patiently as their leader just stares at them.

“Come on, man,” Hunk implores.  “We know it’s been bothering you again.  Let us take a look inside and see if we can find anything while Lance helps you relax.”

Lance wiggles his fingers and eyebrows suggestively.  “Oh yesss!  _Please_ let me have my wicked way with you, o’ mighty leader!”

Panic crawls up his spine and leaves a nasty taste in the back of his mouth.  What if-!  “No.  I can’t.  We don’t know if it’s still safe.  Zarkon could be-“  Can’t they see how terrible it is to let their guard down so soon?

The sound of a bayard activating has Shiro jerking his head towards the only door of the common room.

There at the entrance stands Keith.  Feet spread shoulder width apart and knees bent.  An easy stance that leaves the person relaxed and ready to strike at a moment’s notice.  His back is to them, eyes focused on the door, head cocked to the side as he listens for any sound indicating an oncoming attack.

Well.  There goes that argument.

Shiro’s left hand is up and working around the short sleeve of his shirt to the clasps to his prosthetic before he even registers moving it.  A few clicks from the catches and a hiss and twist and his arm’s in Pidge’s more than capable hands and he’s-

“Relax, big guy.  I gotcha.”

Lance’s gentle hands guide Shiro away from the purple lights flickering out of the corners of his eyes.  The low, soothing, voice blows away the echoing from the arena as he lays down slowly onto the cushions.  Face down and head pillowed enough that he doesn’t suffocate, Shiro forces himself to gradually relax.

He can hear the others around him.  Keith as he shifts his weight, Pidge asking Hunk for tools and Hunk’s excited suggestions as he hands them over.  Lance’s breathing, slow and steady, next to him.  He knows Allura and Coran are safe.  Knows they’re keeping watch while their paladins are between training sessions.  He knows-

“All right, Shiro, my hero.  I’m going to start on your neck first.  Is that okay?”

A muscle in his neck twitches in approval.  So he gives a hesitant nod.

Knuckles cracking has him sucking in a panicky breath.  Skin rubbing briskly against skin and he’s letting trapped air out slowly through his nose.  Left hand clenches at the edge of the cushion as he feels Lance shift beside him.

“I’m going to sit on your back, okay?  I’ll get better leverage and my wonderful ass can warm your muscles until I make my way down there, huh?”  Warm hands settle on either side of his neck.

“Okay.”  Hand releases its death grip and fingers tingling from return circulation lay flat. 

Warm legs on either side of his ribs.  Strong thighs and calves holding his torso still without _restraining_.  Jean-clad ass settling firmly on his lower back, slowly resting his weight there.  Shiro’s lower back happily cracks and pops like the cereal he enjoyed back on Earth.

Nimble fingers dig into his neck, gently, gently, firmer, rubbing away the stress of trying to nap sitting upright on a metal chair.  A low humming from the mechanic corner as the two access the wiring within the Galra tech.  The scent of something slightly sweet and yeasty filtering through the pillows around his face.  His own hand kneading the silky pillow in time with Lance’s.  Steady breathing from the doorway letting him know Keith remains on sentry duty.

Darkness behind closed eyes so all he can focus on are his other senses telling him he’s safe.  He can step down for a few minutes.  Shoulders relax as he gradually slips down into himself, feeling Black purring in approval.  Warm hands shift down to the right shoulder, gently manipulating it as Black wraps him up in her comforting presence.

He can let his guard down now.  For just a few minutes.

 

**Author's Note:**

> First fic in Voltron! Woo!


End file.
